Mikhail Baryshnikov is standing up for Russian artists and athletes who are taking the heat for President Vladimir Putin‘s devastating attacks on Ukraine.
The iconic Soviet-born dancer, 74, who famously defected to Canada in 1974, spoke out to the Guardian, clarifying that while “an open exchange in the arts is always a good thing,” that doesn’t mean public figures should be punished for their government’s actions.
“I don’t think it’s right to put the weight of a country’s political decisions on the backs of artists, or athletes, who may have vulnerable family members in their home country,” Baryshnikov said. “For people in those exposed positions, neutrality is a powerful statement.”
The former Sex and the City star went on to argue that Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev should not be banned from playing at Wimbledon if he does not denounce Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Following a meeting at British Parliament on Tuesday, sports minister Nigel Huddleston confirmed that discussions were taking place to prevent supporters of Putin from entering the tennis tournament, Yahoo Sports previously reported. Medvedev and his fellow athletes would have to “denounce” Putin’s efforts if they wanted to compete.
Baryshnikov, who was born in what is now modern-day Lativa, continued, saying that “right now there’s a Rubicon for Russia to cross. Either it will find a way to end this current conflict and live in an open global society, or it will be thrust backwards with no hope of recovery.”
Baryshnikov went on to say that the choice to criticize or applaud one’s country should be the right of the individual. He also compared the current status of Russia to that of the time of Joseph Stalin.
“It’s the individual decision of every artist whether they choose to speak out or not. … In simple terms, Russia is already back in Stalin’s time,” he said. “The arts are collateral damage and it’s impossible to speculate how that will play out.”
Earlier this month, Baryshnikov urged Russians to aid Ukrainian refugees who are suffering as a result of the attacks on their country. As a member of the True Russia initiative, which has a fundraising company to aid Ukrainian refugees, Baryshnikov, along with writer Boris Akunin and economist Sergei Guriev, posted a statement on the organization’s website criticizing Putin, saying “the dictator who currently holds power in the Russian Federation has launched a criminal war.”
“The horror unleashed on our kindred people in Ukraine is becoming a true humanitarian catastrophe. The hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their loved ones and even their lives are bearing the full brunt of the blow,” the statement reads. “But all of us who speak Russian and belong to the Russian cultural world feel the blow, too. The very word ‘Russian’ has become toxic. Most of us are far away from the conflict and from Russia. We may be powerless to stop this nightmare, but we do not have to remain idle.”
The statement continued, stating that “the number of refugees will keep rising. The humanitarian situation will worsen. The very least we can do is help the people fleeing from the horror that Putin has started in Russia’s name. The real Russia is bigger, stronger, and more durable than Putin. This Russia lives and will outlive him. The dictator is fighting a war not only with Ukraine, but against the better part of his own country. He is smothering Russia’s future. Let us prove to the rest of the world that Putin does not speak and act for all Russians. And let us prove to ourselves that we are capable of real concrete action, not just words. Let us help our Ukrainian friends. Please donate to help Ukrainian refugees. Russians of the world, unite against war!”
